Queen Demon

I read a great book, and I have to tell you about it! The book is Queen Demon, by Martha Wells, and it’s a follow up to her 2023 epic, Witch King. Honestly, I’m surprised at myself for not writing about Witch King more at the time. I got to hear Wells read a section of it at WorldCon, last August, so I was primed for the release last week. Obviously, the whole book did not disappoint.

Witch King consisted of two braided plots, one in the past and one in the present. In the past, a horrible army led by Hierarchs (sorcerers) had descended on a mostly peaceful world and was gradually conquering everything. Until a group of their hostages managed to start an uprising and escaped with their lives. In the present, that uprising had been successful enough that it founded the Rising World coalition. One faction had a conspiracy to turn the Rising World into an empire.

Events in both times are witnessed by Kaiisteron, a demon who is able to drain the life out of people and can change bodies at need. Kai’s people in the underearth have a treaty with surface mortals around how and when this is acceptable. In the past we meet Kai as a youth who gets caught up as one of the hostages and nearly dies. In the present, he is an almost unstoppable force. Though felled by treachery, he still manages to foil the would-be emperor’s plans.

Queen Demon picks up both plots directly from the conclusion of Witch King. In the past, Kai and his allies continue their war against the Hierarchs. We get a fuller sense of all the characters in Kai’s close circle. There are satisfying hints of relationships growing between them. In the present, Kai is tracking down a rumor that one of the Hierarchs is still alive. The truth of this leads to uneasy alliances with a couple of opponents from the previous book.

The best part of this series is in Wells’ world building. The Hierarchs left ruins scattered everywhere, which makes for a poignant landscape. It is a diverse world with people of all colors and sizes, having varied dress, foods, architecture, and manners. Everything is beautifully described. There are also a number of same-sex relationships that are not treated as being unusual, so bear this in mind if that sort of thing bothers you.

I do see some flaws in the work, factors that seemed random or maybe just weren’t well explained. That just means I might have to read it again soon, and see what clues there were that I missed!

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